So yes, I was brave enough to try camel milk gelato. In Dubai. The first camels I saw in Dubai were on the beach, backs covered in 2, 3 blankets, led by a ‘shepherd’ who was riding one and pulling the other. Strange, I thought – camels for horses on Dubai’s beaches. But of course it...
Category: Travel & Exploration
Spices & Abras Sailing on the Creeks of Dubai
We took an abra on a warm morning across the Dubai creek, from Bur Dubai to Deira with my friend, Lara of A Life on a Plate. We met up with Sally of My Custard Pie later and enjoyed a nice enough lunch on the Creek. An abra (Arabic: عبرة abra) is a traditional boat...
Yam & Dambun Kazaa Hash
This has to be one of my greatest discoveries of 2014 – that frying boiled yam, cut up in little chunks is an adventure in textures. A couple of months ago, my children wanted fried yam but what we had was boiled. So I lightly greased a pan, seasoned the yam and fried away. The results? Golden...
Yam & Dambun Kazaa Waffles
I’m a yam fan – fried, pounded, roasted – all and every way. I’m a fan of waffles. Plain, with squash and pumpkin, many ways. And then…why not Yam waffles. 1. one/ a good way to use leftover boiled yam (another is in a hash…awesome) 2. an exploration
Dambun Kazaa & Plantain Salad
This is a simple salad with a bit of sweet and spice. Follow the ‘guidelines’ in ‘The Art of The Savoury Salad‘, I went about building.
Zobo & Gingerbeer Fruit Cake (Alcohol-Free)
I have my ‘voice of reason’, Maryam to thank for being the inspiration behind this fruit cake recipe, two ways – the first without alcohol and then, without alcohol and eggs. For a while, I’d been thinking about doing more with Zobo (Hibiscus drink), malt drinks and ginger beer so when I decided to make...
Part 5: Oven-Baked Jollof Rice
Two years ago, I discovered Oven-baked Jollof rice. I’d made rice a few times in a clay pot in the oven but it never occured to me that Jollof could be made in the same way. It was at my sister-in-laws in Mount Vernon, New York where I saw her cook up the most amazing...
Part 4: Around the World in Twelve (12) ‘Jollofs’
…or Twelve (12) Shades of Jollof Rice. Jollof rice in the simplest terms is a beacon for West African cuisine. Texturally, it’s half way between the separate, not mushy grains of a pilaf and the ‘sauced’ creaminess of a risotto. Here are twelve (12) takes from classic to not. 1. Classic: Nigeria & Along the coast of West Africa...
Part 3: The Fundamentals of Jollof Rice
Updated in August 2024 with additional links and photos —– Jollof rice: rice perfection that’s half way between the dryness of pilaf and the creaminess of risotto. ‘Traditionally’, Jollof rice is made with specific ingredients which define the perfect pot – from long-grain rice to scotch bonnet peppers and Maggi cubes for seasoning. I present – the Jollof essentials. Truth too is,...